Caap: 3 aircraft linked to Co no longer in PH
Three air assets registered under companies linked to resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co are no longer in the country, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) said on Wednesday.
“Two AgustaWestland helicopters are currently in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, having flown there on Aug. 20 and Sept. 11, respectively. Meanwhile, the Gulfstream aircraft has been in Singapore since Aug. 16,” Caap said in a statement.
Co, who has been tagged in the massive corruption scheme involving flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), has remained abroad after leaving for the United States in August reportedly to seek medical treatment for an undisclosed illness.
The aviation authority said “it continues to closely monitor all registered air assets in accordance with the law.”
Cannot be sold
Caap Director General Raul del Rosario assured the public that the assets abroad cannot be put up for sale as long as the aircraft are still registered in the Philippines.
“The air assets have not been deregistered. There was an attempt to deregister, but since they were the subject of an investigation, the application was not processed by Caap,” he said in Filipino in an interview on News5.
Del Rosario said the Gulfstream, which is worth $36 million, was applied for deregistration on Aug. 18, while the two helicopters each costing $16 million were applied for deregistration on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.
The Caap official explained that the registration of an aircraft can have only one nationality and since the air assets have not been deregistered here, they cannot be registered in another country.
He said Caap had reason to believe that the earlier attempt to deregister three of the 10 aircraft linked to Co indicated an intent to sell the assets.
No freeze order
Del Rosario also noted that they cannot hold the air assets’ movement without a freeze order from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
“As far as our records are concerned, we are just monitoring the movements of these aircraft. We have not received any freeze order here at Caap,” Del Rosario said.
Once the AMLC issues a freeze order, Del Rosario said the government can reach out to the countries where the assets were taken for their respective civil aviation authorities to implement the order.
3 bodies informed
He said Caap has alerted all airports to monitor the movements of the remaining aircraft linked to Co, which are now in hangars in Bicol and at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon had earlier relayed to the AMLC, the Department of Justice, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure about Co’s alleged ownership of aircraft reportedly worth P4.7 billion.
“Caap sent us a letter [about] the 11 registered air assets of Congressman Zaldy Co. Total of P4.7 billion value of his air assets are registered to various companies. First is Misibis, second is Hi-Tone, which I think is connected to Congressman Zaldy Co, and also QM Builder,” Dizon said.
Misibis Aviation owns air assets with a combined estimated value of $74.65 million (P4.29 billion at the current exchange rate), including two AgustaWestland AW1398 helicopters worth $16 million each, a Gulfstream 350 jet valued at $36 million, two Bell 407 helicopters pegged at $3 million each, and a Bell 206B3 helicopter estimated at $650,000.
Hi-Tone Construction Development Corp. holds aircraft valued at a total of $7.94 million (P456 million).
Its fleet consists of a Cessna 414A Chancellor worth $700,000, an Agusta A109E helicopter pegged at $6.9 million, and a PA 31-350 Chieftain aircraft estimated at $340,000.
Meanwhile, QM Builder lists a single air asset—a Bell 505 helicopter—with an estimated value of $2 million (P114 million).
